Texas House Dems Trip Over Their Own Low Bar
On Tuesday, the most modest of boasts became famous last words for the lower chamber’s dwindling Ds.
Texas Legislature
Texas’ Plantation Prisons: Inside a 200-Year History of Forced Labor Shrouded in Secrecy
Punishments, injuries, and deaths—including from heat—on TDCJ farms are more hidden than they were in the years following convict leasing.
Ex-Legislator Faces Investigation for Possible Violation of Lobbying Law He Co-Sponsored
Chris Paddie is fighting back in court against a state ethics commission probe into his allegedly illegal lobbying.
Two Years Later, I’ll Never Stop Fighting for Lexi
A mother who lost her daughter, and a photographer who embedded in the southwest Texas town, reflect on the Uvalde tragedy.
70 Years of Skewering
The “magic dust” of adding funny drawings to words has been an important part of the Texas Observer.
‘The Queen vs. Texas’ Revisits the Battle over Lone Star Drag
Raemonn James, better known as Hermajestie the Hung, teamed up with a filmmaker to tell a moving story of activism and queer culture.
The Booksellers’ Revolt
The READER Act would have required vendors to rate books on "explicitness" before selling to schools—and blacklisted those that didn't comply.
SIGN UP FOR TEXAS OBSERVER EMAILS
Federal Judge Halts Texas Deportation Law
"Surges in immigration do not constitute an 'invasion' within the meaning of the Constitution."
Anti-LGBTQ+ Laws in Texas May Violate Human Rights Treaties
Four nonprofits are urging the United Nations to pressure the federal government to protect queer residents of the Lone Star state.
Cruzin’ for a Bruisin: Can Anyone Defeat Ted?
After 12 years in office, the junior senator podcasts more than he legislates. But history suggests Texans will give him six more years to talk.